Mayberry Moments:
Aunt Bee’s Medicine Man
Scripture Reading: 1 Cor. 10:12-13
Well, maybe you’ve never bought a bottle
of Colonel Harvey’s elixir,
but my guess is that every one of us here
has been deceived a time or two,
and that’s what I want to take a few minutes
to talk about, based on our short excursion into Mayberry this morning.
Good morning. My name is Bob Hostetler,
and I think it’s fun to watch these old episodes together . . .
but it’s more than fun; it can teach us something, too.
And that’s why, for the last four Sundays
here at Cobblestone Community Church,
we’ve kinda kicked back,
relaxed,
and laughed together
at Andy, Opie, Barney, and Aunt Bee . . .
while at the same time
learning a few principles from the Bible
from spending a few moments in Mayberry. . .
And, in fact, we’re gonna do another Mayberry series
later on this summer,
starting on July 22nd and going through August 12,
so if you’ve enjoyed it,
keep in mind that that would be a good time to invite your friends and neighbors to a new
community-oriented,
student-friendly,
seeker-aware,
outward focused church that has fun
and tells the truth all at the same time!
So, just before we conclude our celebration
by praying together for a few minutes,
let me ask you to turn in your Bible
to the New Testament book of 1 Corinthians,
where we’ll look at chapter 10, verses 12 & 13. . . .
You’ll find it on p. 796 of the Bibles
we provide for your use
either under the chairs
or by the railing on your way in . . .
And if you don’t have a Bible of your own at home,
feel free to take one of ours home with you,
as our gift . . .
So, if you’ve found 1 Corinthians 10:12,
let me just mention a few wise ideas from the Bible that I believe can help you and I avoid deception
and resist temptation,
whether it comes to us in a bottle or some other way.
And the first is:
1. Look out.
Paul says,
So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! (1 Corinthians 10:12, NIV).
In other words, one of the most important things you can do to avoid deception and resist temptation is to be on your guard. One of Jesus’ first disciples, Peter, once wrote,
Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8, NIV).
So look out. Be self-controlled and alert, knowing that temptation will come, and it will probably come when you--like Aunt Bee--are at your most vulnerable.
Secondly,
2. Look around.
Look at our text again from 1 Corinthians. Paul says,
No temptation has seized you except what is common to man (1 Corinthians 10:13, NIV).
You’re not alone.
The kinds of temptations you face are the
same sort of temptation others are facing.
Sometimes it can help to know you’re not the only one, ESPECIALLY if you’re open to learning from others who have experienced similar temptations.
As a popular Christian song says,
We fall down . . . And get up.
And the saints are just the sinners
Who fall down . . . And get up.
And we can learn a lot from others who’ve fallen down and gotten back up to keep on following Jesus,
one step at a time. That’s why accountability is such an important tool in handling temptation. Thirdly,
3. Look Up
Look at 1 Corinthians 10:13 again. Paul says,
And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear (1 Corinthians 10:13, NIV).
One of the keys to defeating deceit and temptation is to respond quickly when it hits by turning to God, who is faithful. It won’t work to just try to turn away from the temptation in your own strength; you must also turn to God . . . And sometimes a quick, “God, help me” prayer is all it takes.
And finally, let’s take one more look at 1 Corinthians 10:13, while I urge you to:
4. Look for the Way Out
Paul says,
And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it (1 Corinthians 10:13, NIV).
God will always provide a way out for you.
It may not be an easy way out,
but it will be a way out.
The problem we face when we’re tempted to do wrong
is not that God didn’t make a way out,
it’s that we didn’t wanna take his way out.
But if you’ll do these four things:
Look out,
Look around,
Look up,
and Look for the way out,
you’ll more often than not
defeat deceit and temptation.
Let’s pray:
